Fire-alarm system.



w. CARROLL. FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION TILED 1'33. 11, 1909.

. Patented July 12; 1910.

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FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12, 1910.

Application filed February 11, 1909. Serial No. 477,354.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CARROLL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Alarm Systems, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of firealarm systems in which a signalindicating a fire in a particular locality is transmitted to a centralreceiving station, either by the manual operation of a fire-alarm box orthe automatic operation of a suitable signalcommunicating device.

One of my objects is to provide an improved fire-alarm system by whichoperation of a signal-communicating box in any room of a building willcause an alarm of fire to be communicated to the central receivingstation to apprise it of the building in which the fire is located, andcause a suitable indicating-device located in or near the building, andaccessible to the firemen, to indicate the particular room in which thefire is located.

A further object is to provide a system by which impairment of abuilding circuit, as bythe breaking, short-circuiting or grounding ofits wires, or in other words trouble on the building circuit, will notoperate to communicate to the central station a false alarm of fire.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated my invention, bydiagrammatic representation, as embodied in a fire-alarm systememploying manually operated electrical means for transmitting thefire-alarm signals.

The central station for receiving the firealarm signals is representedat 1, this station, as is common in systems now generally employed,comprising an electrical circuit, the wires of which are represented at2 and 3 through which current is supplied as by the battery 4; and anindicating-device shown in the form of an electrically-operated ticker 5of well-known construction, a relay 6 and a sounding-device 7, shown asan electric bell, all interposed in series in this circuit. v In theparticular arrangement illustrated, the armature 8 of the relay 6 isshown as attracted to its electro-magnet 9 to maintain thecentral-station circuit open, whereby operation of the relay will causethe current to traverse this circuit intermitsounding-device 7, for theusual purpose.

The magnet 9 of the relay 6 is interposed in the main-line circuit whichcontains the devices for operating the relay. The wires of the main-linecircuit are represented at 10 and 11 and the source of current supply at12, the latter beingin the form of battery. The magnet 9 and a streetalarm-box 13, of a well-known construction, are illustrated asinterposed in the wire 10 in series with each other, it being understoodthat as many street-boxes may be interposed in the main-line circuit asis found desirable.

At 141 I have diagrammatically illustrated circuit-opening-and-closingmechanism, it being designed that this mechanism be located in or nearthe building to be protected. This mechanism comprises a pair of magnets15 and 16, and spring-controlled armatures 17 and 18 cooperating,respectively, therewith, stops 19 and 20 being provided for preventingundue swinging of the armatures away from the magnets 15 and 16 when thelater are deenergized, under the influence of the armature-springs 21and 22. The line-wire 10 adjacent to the armatures 17 and 18 is providedwith branches 23 and 24, the wire 23 terminating in a contact-point 25,preferably of platinum, and the wire 24 terminating in a contact 26 ofrelatively large area, the contacts 25 and 26 cooperating with thearmatures 17 and 18, respectively, in a manner hereinafter described.The armature 17 is connected with the wire 11 preferably through themedium of a resistance-coil 27, and the armature 18 direct to the wire11 beyond the armature 17. By this arrangement, the greater portion ofthe current in the main-line circuit, which is normally closed, passesthrough the armature l8 and contact 26, and thus the relativelysensitive contact 25 is not liable to impairment in case of overchargeof the main line, as by the crossing of wires, or interference therewithby lightning.

It is designed that there be located in each of the rooms of a buildingto be protected mechanism for transmitting an alarm signal over themain-line to the receiving-station 1 to apprise the operator at suchstation of the building in which the fire is located and register on anindicatingdevice in or near the building and accessible to the firemen,the particular room in which the fire is occurring. Each of these lastreferred-to mechanisms, in its preferred embodiment, comprises a set ofthree wheels 28, 29 and 30 mounted on a shaft 31 to rotate therewith,which latter may be operated to rotate it by any suitable device, as forinstance the well-known manually-operated pull devices (not shown)commonly employed in street fire-alarm boxes, it being designed that theshaft and wheel mechanism for each room be located in a box (not shown)which may be supported-in any suitable location in a room of thebuilding. The wheels 28 of each of the mechanisms for the several roomsoperate in conjunction with any suitable contact1naking-and-breakingdevices, as for instance those usually employed in firealarm boxes anddiagrammatically represented at 32; and each of the other wheels 29 and30 of each set of mechanisms cooperate with contact-making-and-breakingdevices 33 and 31, respectively.

The contact-devices 32, in the particular system illustrated, arearranged in series in a circuit supplied with current from any suitablesource, as from the batteries 35 and including the magnet 16, the wiresof this circuit being diagrammatically represented at 36, 37 and 38.Each of the wheels 28 carries means for operating its respectivecontact-device, the means shown comprising a stud 39 on the periphery ofeach wheel 28 which normally holds the members of the respectivecontact-devices 32 in engagement, and thus normally maintains thecircuit in which they are located in closed condition, and holds thearmature 18 normally in engagement with the contact 26. Thecontactdevices 33 are arranged in parallel in a normally open circuitsupplied with current from the battery 35, the main wires of thiscircuit being represented at 36, 3S and 40. An indicating-device whichmay be placed in any suitable location in or near the building andaccessible to the firemen, is represented at 41 as being interposed inthe wire 40 of this circuit, the indicating-device illustrated being ofthe well-known electrically operated ticker-type.

Each of the wheels 29, which cooperates with its respectivecontact-device 33, is provided with means for producing intermittentactuation of the latter, the means illustrated comprising studs 412which are so arranged on the periphery of each wheel as to cause therespective contact-devices 33 to be intermittently operated. The studson all of the wheels 29 are so arranged as to produce in theircooperating contact-devices 33 a dis similar intermittent motion, as,for example, in the arrangement illustrated, the studs are so disposedon the several wheels as to cause a different marking on the ticker 41when different ones of the wheels 29 are operated. Thus when theuppermost one of the wheels 29 illustrated in the drawing is rotated,this ticker will be operated to record three dots, the last two closetogether and the first separated sufficiently far from the last two asto indicate on the ticker the number 12, the wheel 29 below theuppermost one, 13, and the next lower wheel, 14. The contactdevices 3 1are arranged in series in a circuit in which the magnet 15 is located,the wires of this circuit being represented at 38 and as, shown asconnected with the battery 35. This circuit, in the system illustrated,is a normally closed one for holding the armature 17 normally inengagement with the contact 25. Each wheel 30 is provided with means forproducing intermittent actuation of its cooperating contact-device 34for pro ducing intermittent oscillation of the armature 17 under theinfluence of the magnet 15 and its spring 21. The means shown on thewheels 30 for producing the intermittent motion referred to comprisestuds 14: adapted, when the wheel 30 is rotated, to intermittently breakthe circuit through its respective contact-device 34-, the arrange mentof the studs 4:4 on each wheel 30 being identical to cause the armature17 to oscillate in such a way as to intermittently break the main-linecircuit when the armature 18 is out of engagement with the contact 26,and indicate on the ticker 5 a particular number, by separated dot-s, asdescribed in case of the wheels 29, irrespective of the particular oneof the wheels 30 operated, the number thus indicated on the ticker 5corresponding to the number identifying the building at the centraloflice.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that the main-linecircuit, including the street alarm-box, or boxes, 13, as the case maybe, and the mechanism let; and the circuits containing the contact-maling-and-breaking devices 32 and 34 are normally closed; that the circuitcontaining the contact devices 33 is normally open; and that the wheels28, 29 and 30 of each set of mechanisms rotate simultaneously. Thus whena box containing the wheels referred to is operated, the stud 39 isimmediately withdrawn from engagement with its cooperatingcontact-device 32, thereby breaking the circuit through the magnet 16and releasing the armature 18 which swings out of engagement with thecontact 26 and permits all of the current in the main-line circuit topass through the armature 17 and its cooperating contact 25. Continuedturning of the shaft 31 of the box pulled, causes the wheels 29 and 30thereon to engage at their studs with the respective contactdevices 33and 3a, with the result of intermittently opening and closing thecircuits in which they are interposed, with the result of indicating 011the tickers 41:1 and 5, respectively, numbers, by separated dotsimpressed upon the tapes of the tickers, corresponding to the room inwhich the box operated is located and the building in which the fireexists. The ticker 41 thus indicating the room in which the fire islocated affords means to which the firemen, upon reaching the building,may refer for ascertaining the exact location of the fire.

I have diagrammatically illustrated various mechanisms operating inconjunction with the various circuits of the system as they areconstructed along lines well understood in the art. Thus it will beunderstood 'that the operating mechanism for the shafts 31 is such thatit will cause the latter to be arrested in their rotation, whenoperated, to cause the wheels 28 carried thereby to occupy the normalpositions represented in the drawing.

It is manifest that any suitable form of contact-making-and-breakingdevices may be employed for cooperating with the wheels of the boxes ineach room of the building, and that any other suitable means forintermittently actuating the contact-devices may be employed in lieu ofthose illustrated.

It is within my invention to include in the main-line circuit as manystreet-boxes as desired, and also to provide for the protection of aplurality of buildings, in which case the hereinbefore describedmechanisms for each room of a building would be multiplied and therelay-devices 14; for opening and closing the main-line circuit would bemultiplied and arranged in series in the main line, one for eachbuilding to be pro tected in the main-line circuit. In such case, eachbuilding would be identified at the central office by a differentnumber, and the wheels 30 in the rooms of the respective buildings wouldbe so constructed as to operate the armatures 17 for the differentbuildings in a manner to indicate on the ticker 5 the number of thebuilding in which any particular wheel is operated.

It will be noted that in a fire-alarm system containing my invention,the transmission to the central office of a false alarm of fire by thebreaking, grounding or short-circuiting of any of the wires in thebuildings connected with the main-line circuit is impossible; and thatan alarm can only be transmitted to the central station by the oporation of any one of the devices provided. for this purpose.

It will be observed that the diagram shows a ground-wire 45 leading fromthe battery 35 at a point which will complete a circuit through thiswire in case of the grounding of any of the wires of the circuits in thebuilding. In this wire 45 I interpose any suitable form of test-device,as for instance, the lamp illustrated diagrammatically at 46, that asignal may be flashed in case of the grounding of any of the wires inthe building circuits. In addition to the testing-device a6, I providethree other testing-devices, which may be lamps, as illus- &

trated at 47, 4:8 and 49, respectively, or any other suitable form ofdevice either of the flashing, sounding, or otherwise indicating,variety, which are interposed in the wires 36, 38 and 43, respectively,and serve to give a signal in case of trouble on the lines in thebuilding.

While I have illustrated and described the means for actuating themechanism 14 and ticker 41 for eifecting transmission of signals, asmanually operated, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myinvention to the particular form of manually operated mechanismillustrated, or, in fact, to manually operated mechanism, as it ismanifest that it is within the spirit of my invention to operate them inany other suitable manner. It is also manifest that any other suitableform of indicating-device for receiving signals at the central stationand indicating at an accessible place in or near the building the roomin which the fire is located, may be provided in lieu of the ticker-typeof devices illustrated.

While I prefer to provide the circuits containing the contact-devices 32and 3a in normally closed condition, and the circuit containing thecontact-device 33 and indicating-device 4:1 in open condition, it ismanifest this condition may be varied as desired without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

The batteries have been illustrated in the drawing as a source ofelectrical supply, but it will be readily understood that the operationof my fire-alarm system is not dependent in its operation upon thissource of electrical energy, as any other form may be employed.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a main-line electricalcircuit, an indicating-device controlled by the opening and closing ofsaid circuit, a circuit-opening and closing device in said circuit, ashunt in said main-line circuit, a circuit-opening-andclosing device forcontrolling the passage of current through said shunt, a secondelectrical circuit for controlling said first-namedcircuit-openingand-closing-device, a third electrical circuit forcontrolling said secondnamed circuit-opening-and-closing device, meansin said second circuit for opening and closing said second circuit, andmeans in said third circuit for opening and closing said third circuit,for the purpose set forth.

2. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a main-line electricalcircuit, an indicating-device controlled by the opening and closing ofsaid circuit, a circuit-openingand-closing device in said circuit, ashunt in said main-line circuit, a circuit-openingand-closing device forcontrolling the passage of current from the main-line through the shunt,a series of devices adapted to be independently operated for operatingsaid main-line circuit-opening-and-closing device, an electrical circuitfor controlling said second-named circuit-opening-and-closing device,and means in said last-named circuit for opening and closing saidcircuit, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a main-line electricalcircuit, an indicating-device controlled by the opening and closing ofsaid circuit, a circuit-opening-andclosing device in said circuit, ashunt in said main-line circuit, a circuit-opening-and-closing devicefor controlling the passage of current from the main line through theshunt, a second electrical circuit containing a series of devicesadapted to be independently operated for operating said main-linecircuit-opening-and-closing device, a third electrical circuit forcontrolling said second named circuit-opening-and-closing-device, andmeans in said last-named circuit for opening and closing said circuit,for the purpose set forth.

4:. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a main-line electricalcircuit, an indicating-device controlled by the opening and closing ofsaid circuit, a circuit-opening and-closing device in said circuit, aseries of devices adapted to be independently operated for operatingsaid main-line circuitopening-and-closing device to transmit a signal tosaid indicating-device, a second electrical circuit and anindicating-device interposed therein, and a series ofcircuitopening-and-closing devices, each constructed and arranged, whenactuated, to transmit to said second-named indicating-device a differentsignal, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a main-line electricalcircuit, an indicating-device controlled by the opening and closing ofsaid circuit, a circuit-openingand-closing device in said circuit, asecond electrical circuit for controlling said circuitopening-and-closing device, a series of devices interposed in saidsecond circuit and adapted to be independently operated for operatingsaid main-line opening-and-closing device to communicate a signal tosaid indicatingdevice, a third electrical circuit and anindicating-device interposed therein, and a series of devices interposedin said third circuit and each adapted to be operated independently ofthe others for transmitting to said third circuit indicating device adifferent signal, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a main-line electricalcircuit, an indicating-device controlled by the opening and closing ofsaid circuit, a circuit-opening-andclosing device in said circuit, asecond electrical circuit for controlling saidcircuitopening-and-closing device, a series of devices adapted to'beindependently operated for operating said main-linecircuit-opening-and-closing device to transmit a signal to saidindicating-device, a shunt in said main-line circuit, acircuit-opening-andclosing device for controlling the passage of currentfrom saidmain-line through said shunt, a third electrical circuitcontaining means adapted to be operated to actuate saidshunt-opening-and-closing device, a fourth electrical circuit having anindicating-device interposed therein, and a series of devices in saidfourth circuit each being adapted to be independently operated fortransmitting a different signal to said second-named indieating-device,for the purpose set forth.

7. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a mainline electricalcircuit, an indicating-device controlled by the opening and closing ofsaid circuit, a circuit-opening-andclosing device in said circuitcomprising an electro-magnet and an armature cooperating therewith andserving, when in one position, to complete the main-line circuit andWhen moved from said position to break it, a second electrical circuitin Which said magnet is interposed, a series of devices adapted to beindependently operated for controlling the energizing of said magnet totransmit a signal to said indicating-device, a shunt in said main-linecircuit, a circuit-openingandclosing device for controlling the passageof current from said main-line through said shunt, a third electricalcircuit containing means adapted. to be operated to actuate saidshunt-openingand-closing device, a fourth electrical circuit having anindicating device interposed therein, and a series of devices in saidfourth circuit each being adapted to be independently operated fortransmitting a different signal to said second-named indicating-device,for the purpose set forth.

8. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a main-line electricalcircuit, an indicating-device controlled by the opening and closing ofsaid circuit, a circuit-opening-andclosing device in said circuit, asecond electrical circuit for controlling saidcircuitopening-and-closing device, a shunt interposed in said main-linecircuit, a third electrical circuit containing means for controlling thepassage of current from the mainline through said shunt, a fourthelectrical circuit and an indicating-device interposed therein, sets ofcircuit-controlling devices each comprising means interposed in saidsecond-named circuit for operating said mainlinecircuit-opening-and-closing device to transmit a signal to saidfirst-named inclicating-device, means in said third circuit foroperating said shunt-controlling device, and a plurality of means insaid fourth circuit for transmitting a signal to said secondnamedindicating-device, each of the means in said fourth circuit beingconstructed and arranged to transmit to said second-namedindicating-device a different signal, for the purpose set forth.

9. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a main-line circuit, anindicating-device controlled by the opening and closing of said circuit,a circuit-opening-and-closing device in said circuit, a normally closedsecond circuit for controlling said circuit-opening-and-closing device,a shunt interposed in said main-line circuit, a third normally closedcircuit containing means for controlling the passage of current from themainline through said shunt, a fourth normally open electrical circuitand an indicating-device interposed therein, sets of circuit-controllingdevices each comprising means interposed in said second-named circuitfor operating said main-line circuit-opening-andclosing device totransmit a signal to said first-named indicating-device, means in saidthird circuit for operating said shunt-com trolling device, and means insaid fourth circuit for transmitting signals to said second-namedindicating device, each of the means in said fourth circuit beingconstructed and arranged to transmit to said secondnamedindicating-device a different signal, for the purpose set forth.

10. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a main-line electricalcircuit, an indicating device controlled by the opening and closing ofsaid circuit, a circuit-opening-and-closing device in said circuit, asecond electrical circuit for controlling saidcircuit-opening-and-closing device, a shunt i11- terposed in saidmain-line circuit, a third electrical circuit containing means forcontrolling the passage of current from the main-line through saidshunt, a fourth electrical circuit and an indicating-device interposedtherein, sets of circuit-controlling devices each comprising threecontact-makingand-breaking devices with means operating in conjunctionwith each other for actuating said last referred-to devices, one of eachof the contact-making-and-breaking devices of each set being interposedin said secondnamed circuit for operating said main-linecircuit-opening-closing device, another of thecontact-making-and-breaking devices of each set being interposed in saidthird circuit for operating said shunt-controlling device, and the othercontact-making-andbreaking device of each of said sets being interposedin said fourth circuit, each of the means for actuating thecontact-making-and v breaking devices interposed in said fourth circuitbeing constructed and arranged to operate its cooperatingcontact-making-andbreaking device in a manner to cause a differentsignal to be transmitted to said second-named indicating-device, and themeans for actuating the contact-making-and-breaking-devices in saidsecond circuit being constructed and arranged to transmit to. saidfirst-namd indicating-device a similar signal, for the purpose setforth.

11. In a fire-alarm system, the combination of a main-line electricalcircuit, an indicating-device controlled by the opening and closing ofsaid circuit, a circuitopeningand-closing device in an electro-magnetand a cooperating armature adapted to close the main-line circuit whenin one position and to open it when said circuit comprisingmoved fromsuch position, a second electrical circuit in which saidelectro-magnetis interposed, a shunt in said main-line circuit beyondsaid electro-magnet and including an armature in circuit therewithadapted, when in one position, to cause the current in the main-line topass through said shunt, a second electro-magnet for operating saidlastnamed armature, a third electrical circuit in which said last-namedmagnet is interposed, a fourth electrical circuit and anindicating-device interposed in said circuit, sets ofcircuit-openingand-closing mechanisms, each comprising threecontact-makingand-breaking devices interposed, respectively in saidsecond, third and fourth circuits, and three wheels constructed andarranged to be rotated simultaneously and engage with said last referredto contact-making-and-breaking devices, the wheels cooperating with thecontact-makingand-breaking devices in said third circuit beingconstructed and arranged to cause the circuit through said shunt-magnetto first occur, and each of the wheels for controlling thecircuit-opening-and-closing devices in said second and fourth circuits,respectively, being constructed and arranged to cause the currentthrough said first-named electro magnet to be intermittently broken totransmit a signal to said first-named indicatingdevice, and operate saidsecond-named indicating-device to indicate thereon dissimilar signals,for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM CARROLL. In presence of- L. I-IEIsLAR, R. SQHAEFER.

